‘The Current War’ Pulled From The Weinstein Company’s Release Schedule

Amidst the growing number of allegations against former Weinstein Company head Harvey Weinstein, the production studio he co-founded is looking to rebrand. They’re brainstorming a new name, conducting internal investigations, and might be sitting out the Oscars this year.

Deadline noted that Weinstein’s only big awards season contender, The Current War, has been pulled from its original release date on November 24, and is nowhere to be found on TWC’s upcoming schedule. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as inventor Thomas Edison and Michael Shannon as his rival George Westinghouse. It premiered at TIFF to mostly lukewarm reviews. (In the days before the New York Times and New Yorker reports about Weinstein, the producer was supposedly working on recutting the film for release.) The Current War’s screenwriter, Michael Mitnick, also dropped out of a panel at the New York Film Festival last week.

It also appears that the Weinstein Company is for sale. Last week, Bob Weinstein assured everyone that rumors of a sale were “untrue,” but the Financial Times (via The Playlist) reports that the board is looking to sell the company. Board member Tarak Ben Ammar said that they are “pleased to announce this agreement and potential strategic partnership with Colony Capital,” the global private equity arm of real estate and investment management firm Colony NorthStar, Inc. Colony Capital previously acquired the Weinsteins’ former home, Miramax, in 2010.

All this means the Weinstein Company, a perennial Oscar contender for decades, will have no presence during this year’s awards season. TWC’s 2017 offerings have mostly underperformed; its biggest hit to date was the crime thriller Wind River, which made $40 million in its theatrical run earlier this year. Others include Goldand Tulip Fever, which was a sensation for about a week simply because of its bizarrely delayed release. The Current War star Benedict Cumberbatch himself addressed the Weinstein scandal last week, calling his actions “horrifying and unforgivable.”